MANURES AND FERTILIZERS. 145 



use of gypsum on tobacco land is not to be recommended, 

 for it is not yet shown to possess any advantages over 

 lime alone, while it may be objectionable. 

 FERTILIZER FORMULAS. 



From the previous pages it appears that a wide 

 range of materials can be used for fertilizing tobacco 

 lands. And if one material should be difficult to obtain, 

 another can be substituted. Of course, the greatest 

 variety is in the nitrogenous compounds, as the materi- 

 als are animal, vegetable and purely chemical. The 

 sources of potash are confined to two materials, ashes 

 and salts. To summarize the facts given in the forego- 

 ing pages, the best plan will be to give formulas, or 

 methods of mixing. It should be emphasized, however, 

 that barn manure should be used with these formulas to 

 as large an extent as possible. All the following formu- 

 las are based on a previous application of eight to ten 

 cords of manure per acre, or three tons of tobacco stems, 

 and each one has been widely used. While the use of 

 cottonseed meal is very general and has given good re- 

 sults, it can be replaced with other ammoniates in case 

 meal cannot be obtained, and, in fact, it would probably 

 be an improvement to use other ammoniates in conjunc- 

 tion "with the meal. A mixed nitrogen-supply gives 

 better results, as a rule, than when a single material 

 only is used, for if the action of one is hindered, or too 

 rapid, the others correct this defect. This is the rule 

 used in compounding commercial fertilizers. 



No. 1. Composed of Containing 



2000 Ibs. cottonseed meal, "I xrurno 



500 Ib. plter, J Phosphoric acid, 126 Ibs. 



The essential elements are derived from the meal 



and ash ; the plaster and lime only being supplied to 



affect the soil mechanically and to assist the burning 



qualities of the tobacco. Linseed meal is used instead 



10 



